Joint Decision
by darkgirl3
Summary: Caroline and Matt decide that they should break up at the same time while she's in the hospital.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Joint Decision**

**Category: Vampire Diaries**

**Characters: Caroline and Tyler, Matt**

**Summary: Caroline and Matt decide that they should break up at the same time while she's in the hospital. **

**Status: In Progress**

**AN: I do not own anything sadly. I wrote this story two years ago about August 23 hope enjoy./B**

**TC TC TC TC TC TC TC TC**

Caroline woke up in the hospital bed looking around trying to remember what happened. The night and day before events past through her mind as she closed her eyes against the light. She remembered being on the float, being in the locker room afterwards and she stopped herself. She remembered what happened in the locker room after she finished changing. It was the last thing she had expected to have happen from her best friend. She looked towards the door wanting to leave, but then she spotted him sitting in the chair asleep beside her bed.

It wasn't her boyfriend, it was him, the one that kissed her and threw everything upside down. How could her best friend do this to her? She thought she loved Matt, no she had, she had loved him, but then again, she groaned because she didn't know what she felt anymore, she had never felt the fire behind their love. The car crash happened and she was here in the hospital sore. She knew she'd had surgery, she could feel the stitches and the different machines hooked up to her.

She thought back to the night before when everything had been right. Matt was waiting at his truck for her and she was going to do her best to patch things up between him and Tyler. She just never thought things would go so differently or that she'd be asking herself the question that had been asked by the one in the chair. She wasn't supposed to have her entire world thrown upside down by one question or one person.

**B 12 hours earlier/B**

Caroline finished putting on her regular clothes before putting her hair up. "I think your hair's better down," she spun around meeting her best friend's eyes.

"You know this is the girls' locker room, right?" she said not adding the extra 'I'm mad at you tone.' Some days she wondered how they'd gotten to be best friends then she remembered. She was the only one that knew all the truths about what was locked behind those walls he put up. She was the only one that could be there and not judge him for all the stuff he did. She knew why he did crazy things like beat Matt up for no real cause. She didn't judge, but she was holding a little anger at him for hurting their friend.

He also knew what was behind all the insecurities that she had. He was the person she could go to if her day was hell and he'd just give her a hug. It sometimes got him in trouble if he had a girlfriend, but he'd stopped caring ages ago about that. He had told her what he'd done when she'd gotten back and she knew there was more behind it than what happened in front of people.

Secrets didn't stay that way; she'd been in his room one day in the closet hiding because she didn't want his mom to see her. She hadn't thought his dad would come in the room behind him. She'd seen through the door what happened and knew from that day on the Mayor was a bastard. She hadn't said anything or given sympathy instead she'd just started talking about a new movie that he might want to see. She had heard him talking about it to Matt, but nobody could go see it opening night, so she'd gone. It had been graphic, gory, and awful, but afterwards he'd treated her to ice cream.

"Yeah, I paid the coach not to kick me out," he joked looking at her; he knew he had no chance; he never had a chance with her. He wished he did though because if she was his then maybe things would be perfect at least in his love life. She kept him from going crazy some days and lately he was having a lot of those days. He just didn't understand why he had those days when he just saw red all over, except when he was near her.

"Why did you kiss her? You told me she kissed you first, you could have stopped it, you could have told her no, so why?" Caroline asked she had to know why the hell Tyler had kissed Matt's mom. He could have stopped it, but he had kissed her back and it lead to Matt and him being on the outs now. She wasn't going to beat around the damn bush, that was never her style, she'd told him earlier he was going to have to do a little better than sorry.

"The night we found out that Vicki was dead you ran out their house in tears, you told me that Matt choose Elena over you, I thought you two broke up," Tyler said looking down, he couldn't look into her eyes and say it. He told her the truth hoping that it wouldn't make things worse. "I thought that and then you two were together again," he had felt like hell after he saw them together again. He'd wanted to help her through the break up and maybe she'd realize he was right there in front of her. He'd never hurt her or pick another girl over her.

Caroline was confused at first not sure why that would make a difference. She hadn't really broken up with Matt that night. She'd left town to see her dad a few days later, but she'd brought Matt and his mom food and stuff. It was the split second look, the same one he'd given her that night when he said that Matt wasn't good enough for her. He still loved Elena and always would. Caroline understood everything then and she shook her head. "Tyler, that's not…"

"I wanted you, I was picturing you, that you finally stopped fighting those feelings and you kissed me," there was always tension between them since the night she'd thrown the party at the Grill. She'd been upset and he'd cut her off from drinking. They were best friends he wasn't going let her drink herself into passing out. "You kissed me that night at the Grill, you told me I was a great best friend, you wanted more," he just assumed she'd meant between them not the alcohol. He'd made an ass out of himself for assuming that she'd

**B TC TC TC TC TC TC TC TC/B**

Caroline couldn't say anything because she had kissed him, but he'd stopped it from going farther. She'd been mad and walked off. Matt took her home and it was the last time they talked about that moment until now. "I never meant to hurt you, Ty," she didn't know what else to say to him. She couldn't help the guilt she felt for the hurt she saw in his eyes. She looked down before she felt her chin being lifted back up.

"I love you, Caroline, why can't you just see that?" he asked before he kissed her cupping her face as he did so. He knew that it was wrong, but he didn't want to be right, he wanted her and if anything she'd been stolen from him. He moved his hand up tangling it in her hair after pulling it back down. He let his other hand go to the hem of her shirt. His fingers played there as they continued kissing.

"No," Caroline pulled away, she couldn't do this to Matt, he was her boyfriend and even if she secretly wanted Tyler she couldn't be the girl that cheated. She always thought the ones that cheated were sluts and she couldn't do that. "Matt is like a brother to you, we cannot do this to him, Tyler,"

"He took you from me, I was supposed to be the one that took you home," he wanted her to see it from his view point. He'd been watching them for months now and he'd been quiet, but he couldn't do it anymore. "I showed up at your house that morning to bring you coffee and he was sneaking out of your bedroom," he'd had to listen to Matt go on and on about him liking Caroline, he couldn't sit by and let it happen anymore. "I don't have to like you, you're the girl I love, you're my best friend, and by morning you and I are going to be together," he didn't mean for it to sound like an order, but it came out like that.

"What you going to do kidnap me and take me off somewhere?" Caroline asked at his statement, "That is the only way you are going to get me in your bed by morning," she would never just dump somebody to go and fuck another; she had already been thinking she needed to let Matt go. Him saying Elena's name in his sleep the other night had been the last straw. She had come so close to asking Tyler to be her escort, but she'd been upset with him.

"Yes," Tyler moved behind her before he let his hands slide under her shirt moving them up. He pushed her bra up cupping her breasts in his hand, "Break up with Matt and find me," he kissed her neck making a trail of them. "I'll give you sex that you'll be screaming in pleasure, has he ever made you scream?" he knew the answer too because Caroline had told him once she never felt the spark.

"Tyler, don't do this to me," she reached up to pull his hands free, but he made her moan twisting her nipples and pulling at them. "Please," she couldn't take this; if he kept it up she'd do what she swore she wouldn't. She didn't know how he could have so much power over her, but he did. Most of the time she'd pick Tyler's side over anybody else's, he knew that too and it was what gave him even more power.

He knew exactly what he was doing and turned her around kissing her again sliding both of his hands into her jeans and panties from behind. He pulled her till she was flush against him moving against her. "Please what?" he turned them around so she was against the lockers trapped between him and them. "Please stop, Please continue, or is it please fuck me here and now and show you who's better him or me?" he knew he wasn't being fair, but he'd been holding back too long.

Tyler pulled one of his hands free working on her jeans she hadn't stopped him yet. She wasn't screaming or trying to hurt him for doing this. Until she made it clear he wasn't going to stop because he wanted to be with her. He shoved the side of her jeans down working on the other kissing her. He was putting everything he had into the kisses because he couldn't keep it inside of him anymore.

Caroline whimpered feeling his mouth when it moved against her neck she was losing more and more will power with how he was making her feel. She wasn't meaning to give in to him, but she was and she knew she had to stop. She couldn't lead Tyler on either; she couldn't hurt her best friend when she could tell how much he was in love with her.

Caroline found the last bit of will power she had and grabbed his hands pulling them free, "I said no," she pulled her jeans back up the short distance and fastened them before getting her bag and to the door so there was space between them. "I want this, but I can't cheat on Matt. Most of all I can't hurt you and if we do this I will be hurting all three of us," she shoved the door open and took off almost in a run so she could get more distance between them. She had to talk to Matt and she knew that she wouldn't be able to get him talking to Tyler any time soon, not when she was breaking up with him because of the love she felt for his best friend.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Joint Decision**

**Category: Vampire Diaries**

**Characters: Caroline and Tyler, Matt**

**Summary: Caroline and Matt decide that they should break up at the same time while she's in the hospital. **

**Status: Complete**

**AN: I do not own anything sadly. I wrote this story two years ago about August 23 hope enjoy.**

**TC TC TC TC TC**

**Chapter 2**

**Present Time**

Caroline shook her head coming back to the present thankful that she was alive. She was sure that she'd been close to dying, but she hadn't thankfully. She remembered getting into the car with Tyler; she remembered what lead to the car crash, but nothing after the fact. All she could think was please don't let Tyler die. She didn't think about herself or if anybody else had been hurt all she could think about was Tyler.

He was her best friend and even if he threw everything upside down, she couldn't live without him in her life. She reached out taking his hand because he was right against her bed with the chair. "I love you too, I wanted it to be you taking me home," she wished that he was awake so she could talk to him. "I am sorry I hurt you so much, it's the last thing I wanted, and I'm going to talk to Matt," she knew that she had to talk to him. She might be in the hospital, but she had to talk to him. She couldn't let him keep living with the idea they were okay anymore.

She had never gotten to tell Tyler that she loved him too. He'd gotten her brain all in a dizzy spell and she had forgotten what he'd said until now. She did love him, the things he did for her wasn't all best friend love either, and she had to let him know it too. The moment he woke up she was going to tell him she did love him. He was so good to her and she hadn't been to him with the way things had went.

The door to the room opened and she looked up seeing Matt walking in. She moved her hand back hoping that he didn't see it. She had wanted to talk to him the night before and she'd been fixing too when she'd gotten up and between Tyler and his dad. She was always doing the saving and she just wanted to be the one saved this time. Why was she going to have to break Matt's heart because she loved Tyler instead?

"Hey," they said at the same time.

"I tried to see you earlier, but you were still sleeping," Matt was surprised that Tyler was still there. He figured he would have gone home to deal with his dad's death, but he hadn't. "Have you talked to him yet?"

"I just woke up," Caroline said wondering when the right time was for her to tell Matt they needed to break up.

"I don't want to do this to you right now," Matt started, how low could it be to break up with her now. He couldn't keep trying to replace Elena with her; it was obvious that Caroline and he weren't going to work. He had started seeing it a while ago and it had nothing to do with what his mom had been saying either.

He hadn't had to have Tyler tell him that last night when they were sitting in the waiting room. He knew that his best friend was in love with his girlfriend, he wasn't blind. He wondered why he hadn't fault harder to keep Caroline. Tyler had told him everything while they were waiting once he came back after he'd thought he left at first.

**B TC TC TC TC TC TC TC TC/B**

Tyler wasn't big on being so open or showing him any kind of real emotions. He'd watched his best friend close to tears last night thinking it was his entire fault she was here. They had went to get something to drink and eat in the cafeteria while Caroline was still in surgery. Somewhere between the first soda and the last of the fries they'd split Tyler told him how he felt. He'd even told him about what happened in the locker room saying it was his punishment, her ending up here, for what he'd tried to do. He'd already forgiven him for everything else that had happened. Matt just didn't see a reason in taking a swing when Tyler already felt so down in the dumps.

They had been friends since kindergarten when Tyler had sat down beside him because he'd been sitting alone. That was who Tyler was deep down behind all the walls he put up over the years. He would do anything for his friends and he'd help you out if you needed it. He hadn't known what to think the first time he'd gotten invited over to play, but knew one thing, Tyler wasn't the spoiled rich kid. He wouldn't get something because he could or had to have it.

Tyler never asked for anything in return for all the things that he'd done for him. Matt knew that there was probably a mile long list, but he never asked for any favors. He figured he owed him one now, the one thing his best friend wanted, and he owed Caroline because he really wasn't treating Caroline the best he could.

"I think we should break up," he said it at the same time that she did looking at her.

"I didn't want to hurt you either," Caroline said, "I have tried to make this work, but…"

"You feel like second best?" Matt asked using what Tyler had told him to finish her sentence. He really never meant for her to feel that way.

He'd only loved one girl and he didn't have a chance with her again, he just needed time to sort everything out. He couldn't make Caroline wait or put the only person he had left that felt like family, through hell. He used to have his grandpa when his mom wasn't around. He'd had Vicki too, but he'd never really had a mom, well Elena's parents had been like his own. All of their friends had felt like they were the one set of parents that treated them all like their own. When they died they all lost the only real parents they had.

Caroline nodded, "I'm sorry too, I kept going because I didn't know when to tell you," She couldn't do it when his sister had just died. She would not be that person because it was just horrible to do that to a person. "I guess I can't exactly be good at everything," she looked down not wanting to meet his gaze.

Matt lifted her chin up, "I'm just as much to blame, I want you to be happy Caroline," he'd threatened to beat Tyler's ass down if he ever hurt her. He kissed her forehead before stepping back, "Don't be afraid to give him hell, and he told me about the locker room last night," she should know what was said, but from what he was told Tyler had already confessed to her. "I'm not mad at him anymore," he added before he told her to get better leaving the room.

**B TC TC TC TC TC TC TC TC/B**

Caroline was lying on her back watching Tyler sleep when he finally opened his eyes. It had been two hours since Matt had left the room. She had been trying to think what to do. She didn't want to just jump in his bed like that. She wasn't going to do that either she told herself, but she knew that if he kissed her like he had the night before she'd be doomed.

"You talk in your sleep and you snore," Caroline giggled watching him sit up in the chair. "You said you were going to hump a bunny," she couldn't help but laugh because he hadn't said that. He'd actually said he wasn't going to eat a bunny, but she had no clue why he'd want to eat a harmless bunny.

"What?" Tyler asked half asleep, "I did not say that," he had to think about it for a second because she had gotten him on tape once saying something in his sleep. She had slapped him for what he'd said then though. He just couldn't be held responsible for giving into his dad's receptionist's daughter when she looked that good and kept flirting. The girl had been three years older than they were just getting home from her first year of college. That had been at the beginning of the summer and she'd left before the fourth of July to do something.

"No, but you did say I'm sorry, please don't die," Caroline got up off the bed thankful that the machines had been unhooked an hour ago. "Also something about eating a harmless bunny," She was sore all over still, but she managed to sit on Tyler's lap letting her feet hang over the chair's arm leaning against his shoulder. "I didn't care about me, as long as you were okay," she confessed feeling his arms holding her close. She couldn't help as the tears fell. She'd been holding them in since she'd seen him on the pavement being worked on.

Tyler kissed the top of her head holding her as close and tight as he could without hurting her. "It's okay, Carebear, I'm okay," he let her cry letting his own tears out because he'd been so scared he'd lost her when he'd seen Matt going to her. He wished to God he knew what had happened to him last night, but he didn't. The only thing he knew was his head had been splitting open all at once. "You're going to be okay too,"

"Matt talked to me, we broke up," she let him know it was mutual and that he'd said some of what had been told to him, "I see you two made up too," she had wanted that so badly the night before. It had taken a crash and her life on the line for her to get her wish. "Don't you ever scare the shit out of me like that again," she said closing her eyes feeling sleepy again.

"You better not either," Tyler said back watching her as she smiled against his shoulder. He wasn't going to let anything else happen to her. He'd let her down months ago by not taking her home, he had done it again last night by crashing the car, and he wouldn't do it again he swore he would do better. She was everything to him, he hadn't told her what had happened yet, but he would eventually.

He was just so glad she hadn't died or gone into any kind of code blues. It had been touch and go for so long when she'd first been brought in and he had seen Damon leaving her room when he'd gone to the bathroom the night before when he slipped into her room. He didn't know what the asshole was doing there, but he'd vanished before he could track him down.

He was going to wait about a week before he asked her out not wanting to hurt Matt. It was one thing to break up with a person and say they were okay with it, but another to see it. He'd give him time a week or two should be good. He wouldn't be an ass about it; he wanted to do so much better. Caroline being his best friend had made him better over the last year when he'd wanted to beat somebody up she'd shoved him away. She had gotten between him so many times and she wasn't scared to do it or yell at him. "You're my Angel," he closed his eyes holding her close.

**THE END**


End file.
